Known as the 'right arm of the free world', it's one of the most widely used rifles in history - and the west's post-war answer to the soviet AK-47. The FAL - or, to give its full name, the 'Fusil Automatique Léger', which translates to 'Light Automatic Rifle' - is a battle rifle, characterised by its selective fire ability and chambering for a full-powered rifle cartridge. Battle Rifles can trace their heritage to the bolt-action rifles wielded in both world wars, such as the Mosin Nagant, Lee-Enfield and M1903 rifles, all of which saw ample use at the start of the 20th century. It was World War 2 that marked a turning point in firearms history, where the power and long-range accuracy of the bolt action was supplanted by the more versatile automatic rifles. With the power of a full-sized cartridge, and the automatic capability of a sub-machine gun, by the middle of the 20th century the battle rifle was king. By modern standards, the FAL is a hefty weapon - modern assault rifles fire smaller cartridges and make extensive use of polymers to reduce weight - while the FAL is a full-size rifle of an entirely steel construction. With a barrel 21 inches long, the overall weapon length is 43 inches - a little over a metre - and some 20% longer than a typical modern assault rifle. The FAL's length is accompanied with commensurate mass - weighing in at 4.3 kilograms unloaded, 50% heavier than the modern M4 carbine. Despite its bulk compared to today's weapons, compared to its bolt-action predecessors, the FAL offered greater firepower with few downsides for the evolving face of infantry combat. The weapon was developed by Belgium-based Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal, or FN. FN were known for their work with American arms designer, John Browning - a man responsible for many key firearm designs of the early 20th century. It was his successor as Head Designer at FN - Dieudonné Saive - who would later finish his Hi-Power handgun design, and go on to design the FN